Cigar Reveal #170

Tatuaje
Nuevitas Jibaro

Loved this cigar and looking for more? Find more here and take advantage of our members-only pricing!
See More Cigars

Nuevitas Jibaro
Anatomy

  • Nicaragua

  • Nicaragua

  • Nicaragua (Corojo '99)

Nuevitas Jibaro
Flavor Notes

First Third

Cocoa

Almonds

Oak

Cocoa

Almonds

Oak

Second Third

Red Pepper

Cream

Dark Chocolate

Red Pepper

Cream

Dark Chocolate

Final Third

Leather

Pretzel

Almonds

Leather

Pretzel

Almonds

See More Cigars

Reviews + Notes

Cigar Aficionado

If the Nuevitas Jibaro No. 1 doesn’t look familiar to you, it should at least look interesting. Familiar because Nuevitas is a brand that Pete Johnson discontinued more than a decade ago and resurrected in 2018. Interesting because of the quarter inch or so of exposed binder at the foot.

It’s also unusual in its presentation. The boxes are taped at the joints and hold 50 cigars each. Big, 50-count boxes are a rarity in the premium cigar world.

Now that the brand is back on the market, there are a few differences. Nuevitas is produced in Nicaragua at My Father Cigars, the factory owned by the Garcia family. The blend also consists of tobacco grown by the Garcias in Nicaragua. And the cigars, which used to come packaged nude, now wear bands. The Jibaro No. 1 smokes quite unlike any of the other cigars on the Top 25. Upon first puffs, that exposed binder gives the cigar an up-front blast of spice that sets the tone for the rest of the smoke. Once the Nicaraguan Corojo ’99 wrapper starts to burn, the entire cigar really rounds out. The intense spice then recedes a bit to the background, making way for a bold but balanced smoking experience of leather, chocolate, almonds and wood.

Stogie Press

Overall, the Tatuaje Nuevitas Jibaro No. 1 was an ok cigar that offered decent flavors and aroma through the journey once you get past the harsh start. Where this one really comes up short is in the burn. It develops an early wave and when the ash fell, it revealed an inward burn cone and crunchy foot. Once touched-up it started to behave better. This one I may try again but I would not gravitate to it in on the shelf. I rate this an 86.

Halfwheel

It's a shame when harshness is the only thing I remember from what could be a very enjoyable cigar, but that's exactly the case with the Tatuaje Nuevitas Jibaro No. 1. There are some good flavors—the brief pretzel note stepping into the territory of great—but for as much as I enjoyed them, they were all overshadowed by pepper that was tied too closely to gruffness and harshness that forced my attention to shift from the palate to the throat, and specifically the irritation it endured. Maybe—hopefully—this cigar will mellow out in time, something I look forward to finding out, but assuming this is the off-the-shelf experience, for as much as I like what seems to be at the core of this cigar and hope develops with some rest, I'm likely to reach for something else bearing the Tatuaje name.